Fun Fact!
Ohio wasn’t “officially” admitted to the United States until Aug. 7, 1953. Congress never took a formal vote to admit Ohio as a state back in 1803. Due to an oversight, Ohio’s statehood became official retroactively in 1953 when the United States Congress passed a resolution.
1660 | Mary Dyer
First known witch of Ohio, One of the most infamous cases of witchcraft in Ohio involves a woman named Mary Dyer. In 1660, Dyer was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death by hanging. She was pardoned by the governor but was later arrested again and executed for refusing to leave the colony.
1805 | The Only Witchcraft Trial of Ohio
The Hildebrand family, who lived in the burgeoning village of Bethel, experienced episodes of screaming fits and visions. They blamed their neighbor, Nancy Evans, a widow, for causing their troubles through witchcraft. They attempted to contain the “witch” by tying the family’s afflictions into a bag, then destroying and burning the bag.
Unable to pass a law for witchcraft, the local justice, Houton Clarke, came up with a novel solution. Nancy Evans was placed on one side of a large scale, and a Bible on the other. Justice Clarke declared that the Bible’s divine weight would prevail over any demonic spirit.
Nancy Evans, significantly heavier than the Bible, was declared innocent. The scale’s verdict brought peace to the community, and the Hildebrands eventually moved away. Nancy Evans also moved and died in Brown County, respected by her neighbors.
The Bethel Witch Trial stands as the only known witch trial in Ohio. It serves as a reminder of the continued phenomenon of witchcraft accusations and the creative solutions people devised in communities where no existing laws applied.
Witches Tree
Location | Louisville KY
Have you ever watched Hocus Pocus? The story is similar-ish
Photo Credit | Atlas Obscura
There’s an Urban Legend dating back to the 1700-1800s 3 woman living near Cincinatti were caught doing something witchery then escaped down the Ohio River then into Licking River into Kentucky. They hung out there for a couple weeks then were caught.
They were all hung from one tree at the same time. Before they were hung they cased a curse upon the tree to anyone who disrespected it or cut it down. When the witches died, three small humps formed around the tree. Years later when anyone tried to cut down the tree axes would break, chainsaws wouldn’t work and anyone who tried would pass away shortly.
The tree was cutdown with out issues in 1890
The Witches Ball
Location | Myrtle Hill Cemetery
Established | 1822, this nearly six-acre cemetery is the final resting place of some of the area’s earliest settlers.
Beneath a three-foot granite ball is a small marker that bears a single name, “Stoskopf.” Legend maintains that a witch is buried here, and the massive granite structure was designed to keep her spirit from wandering. Her name was Stoskopf and she died in the 20’s. According to the paper she was emotionally and physically abused by her husband and sons. She was made to work like their slave and the boys were allowed to beat and beride her.
Local legends explain that Old Lady Stoskopf murdered her family and tossed them in a well. When the townsfolk discovered the grisly truth, they sentenced her to death. When she was buried, she was buried standing up, and a massive gravestone was placed above her to weigh her spirit down.
Locals insist that the stone itself alludes to the horror lying underneath. It’s cold to the touch in the daytime and warm by night, and even leaves won’t dare to settle on the cursed structure.
The legend has existed in the area for decades, but it is very likely that there isn’t even anyone buried under the massive stone – called the Witch’s Ball – at all.
Cincinatti, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio is has the most amount of current and historical witch crafty things in the state of Ohio. The Cincinnati area has numerous spiritual shops that cater to the witchcraft and metaphysical community.
University Of Cincinatti, Ohio
The University of Cincinnati offers a course on Women and Witch Craft.
This course examines the concept of magic and the role of witchcraft in history from antiquity to the present, focusing on their influence on European social and political history, religious ideas and discourse, and European colonization. Students in this course will be exposed to primary and secondary sources on the phenomenon and mechanisms of magical thought and its impact upon persons and societies.
